Everson’s 5 TDs power Bartlett past Elgin
Aaron Everson put on a show in the first half for Bartlett as the Hawks visited the Elgin Maroons for Upstate Eight Conference crossover football action on Friday night.
The Hawks’ senior running back ran for 269 yards and found the end zone 5 times in Bartlett’s 49-7 win over Elgin at Memorial Field. Everson also kicked all seven of the Hawks’ extra points of the game.
“The kid works hard in the weight room, and he broke some tackles tonight,” said Hawks’ coach Tom Meaney.
Both squads were seeking a rebound from rough losses in Week 1, and Bartlett started off shaky as sophomore starting quarterback Jordan Flint, in his first varsity start, fumbled a snap which Augustin Dominguez of the Maroons (0-2) recovered.
“It’s like the whole team took a hit,” Everson said. “We just had a big talk on the sidelines, and I told (Flint) to just focus, just play. He’s good enough to be varsity as a sophomore.”
That talk seemed to work as Elgin failed to take advantage of a short field at the Bartlett 28, and Everson followed on the Hawks’ next possession to break a 46-yard TD run. He added an 11-yard TD run in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.
Everson had touchdown runs of 25, 10 and 11 yards in the second quarter and Kyle Garcia added a 6-yard TD run for a 42-0 lead by halftime.
Bartlett’s defense sacked Maroons’ quarterback Ryan Sitter (7-for-21, 99 yards) four times, three from Chris Kantzavelos, in the first half which helped the Hawks (1-1) hold Elgin to minus 9 total yards by the break.
Elgin finally got something going offensively in the fourth quarter as Sitter hit Joe DeBrocke for a 45-yard pass for the Maroons’ first first-down of the night on a 3rd-and-seven play, which set up a Jaylen Clemons (31 rushing yards) 7-yard TD run.
“We have good kids who don’t quit, there’s no question about it,” said Maroons’ coach Dave Bierman. “I told the kids don’t they dare get used to this and keep fighting, but these are good kids who work hard.”
The Hawks did answer that touchdown on the ensuing kickoff as Titus Ayomidele found the end zone on an 86-yard return for the final score of the game.